Quercetin is a flavonol compound widely distributed in the plant kingdom. It has a variety of biological activities. Quercetin Dihydrate is its other form. Quercetin Dihydrate VS Quercetin: Which One Is Better? Today, Nutri Avenue will talk about this ingredient, which has a wide range of effects.
What Is Quercetin?
Quercetin is a flavonoid in foods such as onions, apples, grapes, and broccoli. Flavonoids are a type of plant pigment that helps plants display various colors. Recently, it has gained attention for supporting respiratory health and enhancing zinc’s anti-viral capabilities.
In 2010, a 12-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (1,002 adults aged 18 to 85) was conducted in healthy subjects over 40. The results showed that the severity of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) and the total number of days symptoms lasted were lower in the group that supplemented 500 or 1,000 mg of quercetin daily compared with the placebo group. The test group taking 1,000 mg of quercetin daily had a 36% reduction in respiratory symptoms and a 31% reduction in sick days compared with the control group.
In addition, the benefits of quercetin include the following.
- It has anti-viral principles.
Quercetin can achieve anti-viral effects by blocking viral fusion, inhibiting viral gene transcription, and inhibiting protein expression in infected cells. It can also exert immunomodulatory effects by inhibiting lymphocyte activation and proliferation.
- It acts as a zinc ionophore.
After the virus invades the cell, it can use the resources within the cell to replicate. In this process, an enzyme called “replication enzyme” is used. Zinc ions can hinder this process to reduce virus replication. However, light supplementation of zinc does not necessarily work because zinc ions must be transported into the cells. Quercetin acts as a zinc ionophore here, helping to increase intracellular zinc ion levels.
- It has anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic effects.
Inflammation is a series of pathological processes characterized by activating immune-related cells and releasing various pro-inflammatory cytokines. Persistent chronic inflammation not only causes disease symptoms but also plays a surprisingly central role in many serious chronic diseases, like diabetes, obesity, atherosclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis. In these disease processes, external or internal antigens induce activation of immune cells to release cytokines such as C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), and interleukin-6 (IL-6), triggering large-scale amplification of the inflammatory process. Quercetin can downregulate the levels of these inflammation-related cytokines.
A randomized double-blind controlled study involving 549 people in 7 studies pointed out that quercetin supplementation can significantly reduce the inflammatory marker plasma C-reactive protein, which is more obvious when the dose is higher than 500 mg/day.
On the other hand, quercetin inhibits transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling. TGF-β is a key factor in the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis.
- It has antihistamine and anti-allergic effects.
During a common allergic or inflammatory process, a type of immune cell called mast cells releases a substance called histamine. This substance can cause redness, congestion, and itching of the nose and eyes. Quercetin can reduce the production and release of histamine by regulating mast cells.
Its anti-allergic effect is mainly to regulate immune activity. This ingredient can regulate the balance of Th1/Th2 and correct the Th1/Th2 imbalance associated with allergic diseases (often a Th2 overactive phenotype). Current research suggests that it positively affects allergic asthma, allergic rhinitis, and allergic dermatitis.
However, since quercetin is a compound with low water solubility (only 0.01 mg/ml) [1], low stability, and low bioavailability, it means that high doses (500-1000 mg) must be used to achieve expectations. Biological effects.
Dihydrate Quercetin: Highly Bioavailable Form
Therefore, to solve the low absorption rate of quercetin, quercetin dihydrate is currently launched on the market. Quercetin dihydrate is more bioavailable than the standard form of quercetin. In addition, the body can absorb flavonoids better when they are taken together with vitamin C or bromelain.
Quercetin And Vitamin C
In vitro studies [15] found that using vitamin C and quercetin at the same time can enhance immunity and prevent viruses better than when used alone.
Quercetin With Bromelain
In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, participants first took 500 mg of quercetin twice daily. Subsequently, based on 500mg quercetin, bromelain was taken twice a day. The results showed that the effect of taking quercetin together was improved compared to taking it alone. Therefore, some researchers believe that bromelain may promote the absorption of bioflavonoids in the small intestine.
Quercetin Dihydrate Benefits
- It has antioxidant effects. It helps scavenge free radicals, reduce oxidative stress damage to cells, and protect cells from oxidative damage.
- It has anti-inflammatory properties. It inhibits the inflammatory response and reduces inflammatory symptoms, such as arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, etc.
- It has anti-tumor effects. It inhibits tumor cells’ proliferation and invasion capabilities and induces tumor cell apoptosis. It also blocks tumor growth and metastasis. In addition, Dihydrate Quercetin also enhances the efficacy of chemotherapy and radiotherapy to improve the comprehensive effect of tumor treatment.
- It has a protective effect on the cardiovascular, nervous, immune systems, etc. For example, it lowers blood pressure, improves heart function, and prevents cardiovascular disease.
- It promotes the growth and regeneration of nerve cells. It has therapeutic potential for neurodegenerative diseases.
Quercetin Dihydrate VS Quercetin: Are They Same?
Quercetin generally refers to quercetin dihydrate. Its structural formula contains two crystal waters. Quercetin Anhydrous is obtained by removing the two crystal waters from the structural formula of quercetin dihydrate.
From the appearance point of view, both quercetin dihydrate and quercetin anhydrous are yellow powders.
Regarding solubility, quercetin dihydrate and quercetin anhydrous are almost insoluble in water.
In terms of plant origin, anhydrous quercetin is quercetin that becomes anhydrous at 95-97 degrees Celsius. It is obtained by removing two crystal waters. Therefore, the source of both is the same, which is the flower buds of the leguminous plant Sophora japonica L.
Conclusion
Quercetin is a natural flavonoid. Quercetin dihydrate is its more bioavailable form. It can also be combined with vitamin C, bromelain, etc., to further improve the body’s absorption rate of this ingredient. Nutri Avenue offers Quercetin Dihydrate 95% and Quercetin Anhydrous 95%. Welcome to contact us for more product information.
References
- ^Gao L, Liu G, Wang X, Liu F, Xu Y, Ma J. Preparation of a chemically stable quercetin formulation using nanosuspension technology. Int J Pharm. 2011;404(1–2):231–237.
